crooked tale primitive gives us his take

[franksolich]

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8821429

Oh my.

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 07:42 PM
THE CROOKED TALE PRIMITIVE
Original message

My Son ships off to Iraq in about 45 days. My take on the whole Wiki Leaks thing

When Matthew Brady showed his photos of the Civil War people started to have a different view of the war.

It brought it 'home'. Not that the letters from soldiers didn't, and it is not like loved ones did not already know the pain of war. But there were times where people actually had picnics to watch battles.

WW2, Korea (Where my Uncle fought and was wounded twice, and eventually died from the cancer he got there), Vietnam, et al. We have a cone of silence it seems.

We hear the 'good' news and treat it all as though the people fighting and dying are nothing more than objects.

That object, that little news blurb you hear about in a fire fight, is a person. And soon that person will be my son.

Two little girls at home and a son on the way. God willing if my paycheck gets here this Friday (sometimes it comes on Saturday) I will be buying him a ticket home to see us all before he goes.

He is treated by the military and the press as nothing more that a little marker, a grunt they have no problem sending off to die in a war that we should not be in anyway.

You think these leaks will endanger his life? Maybe - but these wars we started do that more than anything else. I have said a long time now, we 'won' the wars - we defeated the armies of those we said were our enemies. You win, you leave, and you tell people you will come back if you have to.

Does anyone really think that Iraq or Afghanistan can really do us harm now? Even if you did then, they cannot now. If they cause problems, go back. What is the point of what we are doing right now.....but the BIGGER question is:

Why is the government so afraid of being transparent to the rest of us when they demand more and more that ours lives be an open book to them?

You want my boy to go to your war? You show me, him, and those with a stake in it (ie, us tax payers) the books - the same way you demand to know how every penny spend is spent. You want my money and my kid, you damn well better do for me what you expect me to do for you.

You can't travel to Canada or Mexico without a passport now, we lock down schools over simple things, you want us to live in fear all the while you tell us your wars will remove the problem. If that is so - why are you scared that you want to read my emails, listen in on my calls, etc?

You can try all you want to hide behind the shield of 'We are just protecting you' - but I am sure as hell not buying it. You are protecting YOURSELF from all the lies.

flyarm  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 07:58 PM
THE LEONA HELMSLEY OF DUmmieland
Response to Original message

4. K&R and I am crying here..and in Full 100% agreement with you..

I will keep your son in my prayers and your family..and Your son's young family!

We need transparency and we need it now..Kucinich was just on CNN the John KIng show and I applaud everything he said..

It is long past the time for transparency..and long past time to hold war criminals responsible for their crimes..and it is time to stop these illegal wars of profit and greed!

No parent should have to lose their children in these illegal wars!..nor should any child lose their parent ..nor should the civilians and their families who have been killed in these illegal wars not have justice for crimes against them and their humanity.

It is way past time for truth and accountability!

nadinbrzezinski  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 08:05 PM
THE ZBIGNIEW PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message

8. Tell him to keep his head down and no idiocy awards.

If this is his first deployment, tell him to ask the sergeant what that means.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The crooked tale primitive's soliciting money.

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 08:11 PM
THE CROOKED TALE PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #8

11. God willing I will be able to tell him that this weekend in person

Ticket prices keep going up, I will use my whole check to get him here if need be. Will be the last time I see him for a year to 18 months.

He is getting nervous and a little scared, but will go an do his job.

Hopefully our officials we worked hard to elect will do theirs.

Sounds like begging for some cash, to franksolich.

Arugula Latte  (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-26-10 08:10 PM
Response to Original message
 
10. I'm curious. Why/when did he join the military?

Job? Education? Ideology? Mixture? etc.

Hope he stays safe.

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 08:16 PM
THE CROOKED TALE PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #10

14. More than anything, it was he needed the work and health insruance

He went to Basic last year, though it seems much longer ago.

His mom died in 2005, and I think in some ways that also affected his decision. He was a wreck for a long time and life was going nowhere, and the few jobs he could find were temp ones.

Now he can get a paycheck, afford college, provide health care and a home for his kids, and they can pay the bills (and he got a nice signing bonus that pays out 10k/year extra for 4 years).

My youngest son joined as well, but did not make it through boot camp - he had a lot of issues (mentally, over his mom's death) and left, got an honorable discharge, but is now looking at going back in.

barbtries  (1000+ posts)        Tue Jul-27-10 08:35 AM
Response to Reply #14
 
39. "His mom died in 2005"

this is very telling. after my daughter was killed in 2001, my son, 17 at the time and in his first semester at college, quit school, quit his job, was spending all his time sleeping or worse. he joined the navy. was in boot camp when gw began the "war that shouldn't be" as i call it.

fortunately (IMO) he failed a pee test and was let go in 2005. never left the states. i remember when he told me his first command after DINFOS would be in VA i fell on the floor in relief. just can't, i just cannot lose another child.

i believe with all my heart that if Bekah had lived he would have never joined up.

like you i am glad the truth is coming to light. public opinion has to turn and in a big big way to put the pressure on the lawmakers to bring these gawdawful wars to an end. spend our treasure at home, save our children. dismantle the MIC and start over.

there's a big part of me that wishes your son would refuse to go. that they ALL would refuse. the PTB cannot have a war without bodies. and that's all they are to them. they're like sticks of wood they pile on the fire that keeps them warm.

w8liftinglady  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 08:12 PM
Response to Original message
 
12. K&R...if it's any consolation

...according to My son,a 3 time Iraq War vet,Iraq is actually better to go to than Afghanistan these days.That being said,I will send positive thoughts your way,that we quickly leave,and he is with his family soon.

Your post brings up some great topics that need to be reinforced....Thanks.

The Straight Story  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-26-10 08:18 PM
THE CROOKED TALE PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #12

15. He was supposed to go to Afghanistan originally, plans changed

And he was supposed to be driving a tank, now he will be doing convoy security.

I keep hoping they will change it all again and he does not have to go

JonLP24  (1000+ posts)        Tue Jul-27-10 10:53 AM
Response to Reply #15
 
51. Convoy security  

That is right up my alley. He'll likely be in a gun truck humvee or that other vehicle they got. I drove M915A2 truck and trailers deployed over there. He'll also likely be guarded TCN trucks where those guys are targeted more because of their fiberglass Mercedes semi-trucks and lack of body armor. We would have 5 "green"(Army) truck and trailers, 2 bobcats(truck without a trailer in-case something happened) and 20+ "whites" because the Mercedes semi-trucks are the color white. Then there are usually 3 sometimes 4 "gun trucks" (which I imagine your son will be in).

A couple things I will say is to tell you son don't get complacent. He may go on many missions where nothing happens so it is very easy to become complacent. I recall we worked all day and drove all night because of less visibility and little to no traffic. The very first time we crossed the border from Kuwait into Iraq I was alert and looking around. I got bored real quick and since I was passenger not used to being up all night I fell asleep. I was so tired almost forgot to drop my magazine when I went to clear me weapon before going into the first base of our mission.  

My sleep schedule to this day is screwed up because of working all day and driving all night.

Another thing I ask is to treat the TCNs with respect which many troops fail to do so. If you don't know what a TCN is.. I highly recommend this article--http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12675 I can vouch for many of the things the article such as the work well below US minimum wage. Also that they told many things that I didn't know. If you have the time after that I ask you to check out my journal where I add some personal stories.

Anyways best of luck!

On edit-Aside from complacency, if he is in a gun truck humvee, tell him (I'm sure he will be told this many times) keep an eye out for roadside bombs, IED, EFP. The trucks I drove can absorb a blast from an IED(EFP-different story) pretty good but a humvee is very vulnerable to a blast of any kind.

It's a very large campfire.

mike_c  (1000+ posts)        Tue Jul-27-10 03:35 PM
THE mike_c PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message

73. sent the OP to my partner whose son is at Marine boot camp....

She appreciated your insights and said to say "Thanks!"

Well, Godspeed to the crooked tale primitive's son, who's proving himself more of a man than his father is.

[Karin]

I'm surprised mice_C didn't say something snarky about the military.  I left that typo there on purpose. 

Well, I see TSS is begging for money on the internet again.  "His mom died in 2005...."  Unless that was the first wife, and his X is his second wife, something doesn't add up.  Just 7 months ago, the X was ill in the hospital, awaiting a skydiving trip.  Not dead since 2005.  I didn't know TSS could get such a boatload of women. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

If the other son left from Basic, he didn't get an honorable, it would be almost certainly be an 'Uncharacterized' discharge given out during the initial six months of service.  After six months, veterans' benefits vest, but #2 son either failed out, had a pre-existing medical condition that got in the way, or couldn't adapt.

[jukin]

We hear the 'good' news and treat it all as though the people fighting and dying are nothing more than objects.

Only under Obama's reign of incompetence.  Under Bush all you heard was 'bad' news.

Some facts that from 7/7/10 for our Dear Leader's war.

The Afghanistan war under Bush, from October 2001 to January 2009, 625 American soldiers were killed. In 18 short months, Obama has nearly doubled that number to 1,124 Americans killed. 

[JohnnyReb]

On worldly matters, this is the size of a DUmmie brain >.< This is the length of the DUmmie brains attention span >-<. This is the DUmmie brain on drugs   This is the DUmmie brains ability to tell the truth   and this is the DUmmie brain in it's usual state and The DUmmie brain has a useful sum total of  

If , and that's big IF, the DUmmie truly has a son headed over there, we'll worry about him and pray for him and all the rest that stand between us and jihadist.  

[JohnnyReb]

after my daughter was killed in 2001, my son, 17 at the time and in his first semester at college, quit school, quit his job, was spending all his time sleeping or worse. he joined the navy. was in boot camp when gw began the "war that shouldn't be" as i call it.

fortunately (IMO) he failed a pee test and was let go in 2005. never left the states.

That sounds just like a proud DUmmie parent.

[AllosaursRus]

after my daughter was killed in 2001, my son, 17 at the time and in his first semester at college, quit school, quit his job, was spending all his time sleeping or worse. he joined the navy. was in boot camp when gw began the "war that shouldn't be" as i call it.

fortunately (IMO) he failed a pee test and was let go in 2005. never left the states.

That sounds just like a proud DUmmie parent.

Good frikkin' thing, too! The guys I know wouldn't want some dope smokin' idiot behind them! In front perhaps, but definitely not behind! DADT comes to mind, bein it's parent belongs to queer central! Wouldn't be surprised in the least if he couldn't cut it and the failed test was intentional, likely counseled by his cowardly POS parent!!!!

[Texacon]

Two little girls at home and a son on the way. God willing if my paycheck gets here this Friday (sometimes it comes on Saturday) I will be buying him a ticket home to see us all before he goes.

I hope you get to see your son and I hope you enjoy your time with him before he goes to serve his country.

On last thing ...... You're Welcome.  I know you didn't say thank you and maybe I'm reading your post wrong but it appears  you may be on the government tit and I wanted to let you know I'm glad some of my money is going for a decent cause instead of pot and cheetos.

KC